Red-marked cops shoot dead robber in ‘ fake encounter’

RAWALPINDI – Continuing his alleged illegal acts, Station House Officer (SHO) Saddar Berooni and his blue-eyed Sub Inspector (SI) allegedly shot and killed a suspected robber after he reportedly tried to escape from police custody at Samarzar area on Adyala Road on Wednesday.The deceased identified as Yasir. However, SSP Operations denied that the police had killed the robber during a fake encounter. SP Saddar Circle Waheed-ur-Rehman Khattak changed his statements several times about the incident. According to reliable sources, the stage of “fake encounter” was set by SHO Malik Suhail Zafar, his blue-eyed SI Raja Arif and other cops at Samarzar area where they brought Yasir with his hands tied with ropes instead of handcuffing him.First, the police party fired gunshots in the air to scare Yasir who later tried to escape from police custody; sources said adding that as the suspected robber reached some distance, the cops started straight firing at him. “Yasir sustained bullet injuries into his abdomen. He was later rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital by police. However, the doctors announced him as dead,” the sources added.On the other hand, SP Waheed-ur-Rehman Khattak, when contacted, claimed that the police nabbed a person, whose name is not in his mind now, on suspicion who during interrogation revealed that he had kidnapped a girl from Chakwal and taken her to Murree.The SP said that Chakwal police recovered the girl after informed by Rawalpindi police while the formal arrest of Yasir was made by SHO Saddar Berooni. During the course of investigation, Yasir made more revelations that he was also involved in robberies and dacoities and his gang members had a hideout at Samarzar area.A police party took Yasir there but seeing the police party, his accomplices started firing at the police party. In this way, cross firing started. Taking advantage of which Yasir tried to run away from the police custody. However, the police resorted to aerial firing to caution him not to flee but in vein. Then the police fired at him and injured him, SP said.The accomplices of accused managed to escape. Replying a query, SP said no police constable injured in firing.After some time, the SP gave a new statement that Yasir was a notorious dacoit and his father known as Qureshi was also a proclaimed offender and wanted by the police. “One brother of Yasir is also in Adyala Jail in a case of robbery,” he said. After some time, the SP told police arrested Zubair Qureshi, the father of Yasir, and Sherzaman from a house at Samarzar while two others ran away. He denied that it was a fake encounter.SSP Operations Israr Ahmed, when approached, rebuffed the fact that the police had held a fake encounter. He said that the police had nabbed a man Azhar for his alleged involvement in several crimes including kidnapping a girl from Chakwal. On Azhar’s pointation, police conducted a raid at a hideout at Samazar to arrest other dacoits taking refuge there.As police reached there, the dacoits including Yasir opened firing on police party injuring two cops Abrar Satti and Yasir, both constables. He, however, did not reveal that police arrested any dacoit.On a query, the SSP said only a judicial inquiry would unveil the truth.SHO and SI did not pick their cell phones when were called by this scribe for their comments.Till the filing of this report, a heavy contingent of police was combing the Samarzar area.

This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 27-Dec-2012 here.